Former MLB GM’s Pirates take on Cody Bellinger sounds like a bad joke

By now, it isn't news that the Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to spend money this offseason. Offensive upgrades are at the top of the list, but despite the $30-$40 million cash infusion into the budget, most experts expect the Pirates to be shopping in the mid-tier section of free agency.

That has led the likes of Ryan O'Hearn and Jorge Polanco to be bandied about as realistic targets for Pittsburgh. That's a vast improvement over the bargain bin signings we've seen over the last several years, but it's not exactly shopping at the top of the market.

However, former Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden has a different take, and in a column he wrote for The Athletic (subscription required), he sees the Pirates taking a swing you won't believe and signing Cody Bellinger to a six-year, $168 million deal.

Jim Bowden's ridiculous prediction that Cody Bellinger will land with the Pirates definitely won't happen

Bowden's always had a flair for the whimsical since he left the front office world and became a pundit, but even for him, this is one of the more out-there takes.

The teams that have been connected to Bellinger by insiders read like a laundry list of big-market behemoths. You've got the New York Yankees eyeing a reunion, the Los Angeles Dodgers looking for a second go-around, and then the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies all entering the fray.

With so many deep pockets surrounding Bellinger, he's going to end up in... Pittsburgh? Come on, now. Even if the Pirates extended an offer like Bowden predicts, any of these clubs could easily match or beat it. Bellinger's a player who has played for contenders his entire big league career. Are we really to believe that if the money was equal, he'd opt to try and jumpstart a rebuild with the Pirates?

Lastly, this deal doesn't even make sense for the Pirates. With a league-worst 583 runs scored last season, Pittsburgh isn't just one bat away from fixing its offensive woes. Even if it were, Bellinger is a high-end complementary bat and a player who derives much of his value from what he can do in the field and on the bases, so casting him as an offensive engine would be a mistake.

The Pirates are better off spreading the wealth. If they can bring in two or three above-average hitters, that will have a greater impact on the team than spending their entire windfall on one player, no matter how good that player may be.

With Bob Nutting finally grabbing the crowbar to pry open his wallet, it's an exciting time to be a Pirates fan, but don't let predictions like these get your hopes up. They have no basis in reality, and believing in them will only lead to disappointment.